This project started in January 2001 and was hampered by rock and bad weather. It was constructed entirely in the wet season (photo A).
Trenching the laterals was a nightmare. Large rocks made it impossible to use the trencher we had shipped to the job so we had to improvise. We made a toe to fit a ripper line on a 30-tonne digger, cleaned out the lines by hand and backfilled (photos B & C).
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A.
samoa - digging rocks
B.
samoa - cleaning trenches
C.
samoa - backfilling trenches
The entire site was then levelled and rock-raked (photo D).
Sandslitting was very difficult with the amount of rock encountered. Some rocks were just below the surface and the wheel would trench clean through them (photo E).
As the slit cut into the laterals the intersections were cleaned out by hand.
Sand slits were completed at 2mtr intervals, to achieve 1mtr centre retrenches between the slits.
Sand was then spread over the slit lines at 50mm deep (photo F).
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D.
samoa - rock raking
E.
samoa - trenching
F.
samoa - sand spreading
After a total of 580m3 sand had been spread over the field area, final levelling took place (photo G), and the sand field was ready to sow.
Images were also taken of the new pitch after sowing grass seed (photo H), and when the field was ready to play (photo I).
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G.
samoa - final levelling
H.
samoa - grass growing
I.
samoa - ready to play